1: of, relating to, or coming from the whole body of people2: suitable for the average person (as in low price or ease of understanding)3: generally current: prevalent4: commonly liked or approved

How do you use it?

"They're drinking butterscotch and soda. They like that best of all. Buttergin and tonic is also very popular." (Roald Dahl, _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_)

Are you a word wiz?

"Popular" traces ultimately back to the Latin word "populus." What do you think "populus" means?

A. the most

B. the majority

C. the best

D. the people

We hope most people went with the correct answer of D. The Latin "populus," meaning "the people" or "a people," became the Latin "popularis," which English speakers of the 1500s adopted as "popular." Several other "people" words also trace back to "populus," such as "population," "populate," and "populous." The word "people" itself also claims "populus" as its ancestor. And the word "poplar," referring to a slender quick-growing tree with catkins for flowers, doesn't have much to do with people but it also traces back to "populus."